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Center for East Asian Studies

The Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) and its three Committees - The Committee on Japanese Studies, the Committee on Chinese Studies, and the Committee on Korean Studies - work to foster communication and inter-disciplinary collaboration among the community of professors and students at the University of Chicago and throughout the wider East Asian Studies community.

CEAS sponsors workshops, conferences, public lectures, film series, cultural events, and other programs that promote understanding of the cultures and societies of China, Japan, and Korea.

Center for East European and Russian/Eurasian Studies

The Center for East European and Russian/Eurasian Studies (CEERES) has been in existence since 1965, coordinating instruction, hosting events, and facilitating research about Russia/Eurasia and Eastern/Central Europe, including the Baltic States, Balkans, Caucasus, and Central Asia.

Throughout the year CEERES holds conferences and cultural events related to these regions. At least once a year, CEERES hosts a workshop for language instructors teaching East European or other case languages and each Spring helps to organize the Illinois-Indiana Olympiada of Spoken Russian. CEERES also keeps a small outreach library containing of variety instructional materials for K12 classes.

CEERES has a large network of speakers who may be avialable to speak to K12 classes on topics in East European, Russian, or Eurasian history and culture. Finally, the center maintains a blog, which lists opportunities for teachers interested in the CEERES-region nationwide. The CEERES blog can also be received in digested form through the weekly eBulletin.

Center for Latin American Studies

The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) advances knowledge and public understanding of Latin America by sponsoring innovative research, interdisciplinary degree programs, and outreach education projects, and fosters intellectual exchange and innovation in the research and teaching of Latin America at the University of Chicago.

CLAS sponsors professional development workshops for K–12 schoolteachers, often in partnership with other Chicago-area cultural organizations. CLAS also sponsors the Latin American Briefing Series, a public lecture program that brings influential leaders to the University of Chicago to discuss emerging issues that will shape future social, political, and business trends in Latin America.

Center for Middle Eastern Studies

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) is active locally, regionally, and nationally in its goal of enhancing public knowledge of the Middle East. CMES' Middle East Education Initiative manages all outreach programs and collaborates with educational institutions, cultural and religious organizations, diplomatic circles, government, the private sector, and the media.

We draw on the critical expertise of scholars and specialists from the University of Chicago community and around the country to promote a descriptive and critical understanding of the Middle East in both historical and contemporary contexts. Our principal aim is to create new learning opportunities for K-12 and community college educators, administrators, and students. These opportunities typically come in the form of thematic professional development workshops for teachers, but we work directly with individuals and groups outside of the workshop setting to develop and customize other types of programs. We also organize a variety of on- and off-campus events intended for the general public and other audiences. Please visit the Outreach and Public Education section of our website and explore the resources and links to other websites we provide:

Committee on Southern Asian Studies & South Asia Language and Area Center

The University of Chicago is one of the leading centers for the study of Southern Asia. Chicago’s Southern Asia strength is built around two related bodies - a federally funded Title VI South Asia Language and Area Center (SALAC), and the Committee on Southern Asian Studies (COSAS) made up of faculty across the University who share teaching and research interests in Southern Asia.

SALAC and COSAS sponsor a variety of events for K-12 teachers, including dynamic and engaging programming on campus, from panel discussions to art exhibits. Many of our programs and activities focus on developing better educational materials and resources for teachers in the Chicago area, and our office offers a range of those materials on loan. We also regularly bring experts on South Asia to K-12 classrooms, and we work hard to bring those students to our Hyde Park campus in order to take advantage of the programming offered here.

The Oriental Institute

The Oriental Institute (OI) of the University of Chicago is an interdisciplinary research center and museum whose goal is to integrate archaeological, textual, and art historical data to understand the development and functioning of the ancient civilizations of the Near East from the earliest Holocene through the Medieval period. We achieve this by conducting archaeological excavations, artifact analyses, the development of new research methodologies, the stewardship of systematic museum collections, philological studies, historical research, and the development of dictionaries of ancient languages.

The Oriental Institute (OI) offers a broad range of learning opportunities for K-12 teachers and students. Throughout the year, school groups are welcome to schedule field trips to the Oriental Institute Museum and explore archaeology through hands-on activities, including Kipper Archaeological Discovery, Artifact Analysis , Play and Learn, docent-led tours and more. Our online educator resources include lesson plan ideas, classroom activities and topical bibliographies that classroom teachers can download online or purchase in our Suq (store).

Smart Museum of Art, the University of Chicago

As the art museum of the University of Chicago, the Smart Museum of Art takes a distinctly interdisciplinary approach to the collection, display, and interpretation of art. Founded in 1974, the Smart is home to acclaimed special exhibitions and a permanent collection that spans five thousand years of artistic creation. Working in close collaboration with scholars from the University of Chicago, the Smart has established itself as a leading academic art museum and an engine of adventurous thinking about the visual arts and their place in society.

An engine of adventurous thinking

Through a mix of creative partnerships and ambitious educational programs—from innovative tour programs for local public schools to lively workshops for families to provocative lectures and symposia—the Smart Museum strives to connect visitors of all ages and backgrounds with the full spectrum of the visual arts.

The Smart is on the northern end of the University of Chicago campus. The museum is open Tuesday–Sunday from 10 a.m. – 5p.m./Thursdays until 8 p.m. and admission is free for everyone.

At the Smart Museum, we are dedicated to enriching the curriculum through interaction with authentic works of art. We welcome opportunities to assist teachers of all grades and all disciplines and offer a variety of ways to use the museum to support classroom learning.

In our galleries, you’ll find art from across the globe with a special focus on modern art and design (1850–1950), traditional art from Asia (China, Japan, and Korea), traditional painting from Europe, and contemporary art made in the last few decades. You can learn more at smartmuseum.uchicago.edu/exhibitions.

Docent-led or self-guided tours are available free of charge to all schools. The Smart Museum’s school programs offer a variety of in-depth visual art experiences. Education staff and teachers work collaboratively to ensure tours complement classroom objectives. To schedule a tour please contact me directly or book online through the Museum’s website at smartmuseum.uchicago.edu/visit/tours.

Also on our website are downloadable teacher resources and exhibition guides which demonstrate successful integration of the arts into everyday learning. Find them online at smartmuseum.uchicago.edu/learn/k-12.

The Smart Museum offers free professional development workshops to schools interested in integrating aspects of the Museum into their curriculum. These workshops are for all grades and all disciplines and can be scheduled to coordinate with an in-service day either in your school or at the Smart Museum.